Post-Irene: How to file an insurance claim

This post comes from Amy Danise at partner site Insure.com.

Whether your loss from Hurricane Irene is minimal or significant, you want to be sure you receive the insurance compensation to which you're entitled. You also want to help speed along your own claim.

Here are tips for doing that:  Post continues after video.

1. Document your damage. Take photos and start to make an inventory of your losses.
2. Contact your insurance agent to start the claims process. Your agent will schedule an insurance adjuster to come evaluate your damage. Remember that large claims will take priority for the adjusters.
3. If you don't know your agent's number, here's a list of insurance company claims-filing phone numbers from the Insurance Information Institute.
4. Follow the insurance adjuster's instructions, which may include getting a detailed estimate for damage repair. Or your adjuster might recommend one of your insurer's preferred providers for repair, depending on the nature of your damage. You may be assigned more than one adjuster; for example, there may be an adjuster for structural damage and an adjuster for contents damage.
5. If your home is uninhabitable, home insurance will cover your additional living expenses, such as hotel and restaurant bills. It's important to keep all receipts for those expenses.
6. Continue to collect material to document your loss, including photos, receipts and your inventory of damaged items.

If you're facing a significant loss in your home, consider hiring a public insurance adjuster. These adjusters work for you, not the insurance company, and can help you sort out all the claims paperwork, work with the insurance company adjusters and speed up your claims process. Here's more on how to hire a public insurance adjuster.

More on Insure.com and MSN Money:

• Flood-damaged cars: Your top questions answered
• Making hurricane claims: Questions and answers
• How to hire a public insurance adjuster
• Goodnight, Irene. Next problem: Filing claims
• Will your insurance cover hurricane damage?
• What if you got hit by a bus?